Folding stool



Patented Sept. 24, 1935 Y UNITED STATES i *i l 2,015,560

PATENT OFFICE FOLDING STOOL Carlo Iafrate, Detroit, Mich. Application January 2, 1934, Serial No. 704,936

1 Claim.

My invention relates to folding stools and has for its principal object to provide a stool which can easily and quickly be set up for use, and which can be with equal facility folded up for storage or transportation when not in use.

A further object of my said invention is to provide a stool of the character referred to, which is strong and simple in construction, light in weight, and economical to manufacture, and which can be folded into a much smaller space than is possible with stools of this character at present on the market.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved construction, ar-

"rangement, and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which .drawing- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the stool set up for use.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the stool showing the parts in an almost folded position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section on line 5-5 of Figure l.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section on line 6--6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional View taken along the line I-' of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view corresponding to Figure 2 but showing the parts in folded positions.

Like characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The stool as' shown consists in general of two pairs of substantially oval hub members I, 2, spaced apart and each having a pair of pivots 3, 3 arranged in spaced relation and secured to the said members by riveting or other means. Between the respective pairs of hub members are pivoted the upwardly-extending leg members 4 bent into substantially U-shaped form so as to provide transverse connecting portions 5 around which the end loops 6I of the canvas or other flexible seat S pass so as to be permanently con-2 nected thereto. To the pivots 3, 3 are also connected the downwardly-extending leg members 'I also of substantially U-shape, having the transverse connecting portions 8 adapted to rest upon the floor, but these members instead of being placed between the coacting hub members are located inwardly therefrom so that they are consequently of less overall width and can therefore be folded inside of and in the sameV planes as the upper members 4. The leg Ymembers I 4are of course made shorterA than the members 4 for this purpose.

Between the pairs of hub members and formed 5 integral with or securely attached thereto is the transverse brace 9 of rectangular cross section seen edgewise in Figure'2, and rigidly supported upon the respective pairs of pivots 3, 3, intermediate of the hub members 2 and the leg members 'I, 10 are the upstanding arms I0. To these arms are pivoted the shorter members I I of the toggle links I I, I2, the other members I2 of which are pivoted to the upwardly extending leg members 4, there being one pair of toggle links on each side of the 15 stool and the pairs being arranged right and left hand respectively, as shown in Figure l. These toggle links serve to brace the members I0 and consequently` the hub members I, 2 against rotary movement, which might occur due to the 20 fact that the structure is not completely triangulated, as will be understood, and are folded in between the adjacent members 4 and I0 when the stool is in closed condition. The arrows in Figure 1 show the direction of movement of the several 25 parts when the stool is being folded.

In order to further stiffen the structure when in use there are provided pairs of hinged braces I3 pivoted to the upper and lower leg members 4, I and also pairs of similar braces I4 pivoted near 30 to the lower ends of the members 1, all of which braces are arranged to fold into the planes of the leg members when in closed position. One outer end of each pair of braces I4 is xedly pivoted at I5 while the other outer end is detachably Aconnected through the slot I6 engaging with a projecting stud II as well known in the art. The braces I4 are supported in folded position by spring clips I8, while the braces I3 fold in be- 40 tween the upper and lower leg members 4, 'I.

The upper leg members 4 when in folded position rest within the U-shaped clip members I9, 20, and are thereby positioned in the same plane as the adjacent members 'I to which the clip 45 n members are attached. After folding the parts are finally secured together by slotted latch members 2l pivoted at 22 to the member I 9 and adapted to engage studs 23 upon the member 2l). In Figure 3 the parts are shown in the not quite com- 50 pletely folded position for the sake of clearness. 1t will be observed that due to the respective upper and lower leg members being folded inside each other, the total overall width of the stool when closed is but slightly more than that of two of the legs, so that by my improved construction I am able to secure a compactness hitherto unobtainable.

Further-by the use of the toggle members H, l2 I am able to construct a stool which provides the maximum rigidity and safety when set up. The several parts may be of steel or other suitable material.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A stool of the character described comprising two pairs of hub members arranged in spaced relation and having pairs of laterally spaced openings therethrough, a transverse, rectangular brace extending between the pairs and having at each end a pair of laterally spaced cylindrical pivot pins adapted to project through said openings, a pair of upper U shaped members each having two vertical legs swingably mounted upon said pivot pins and connected at their free ends by transverse members, a flexible seat member conn necting said transverse members, a pair of lower U-shaped members each having two vertical legs swingably mounted upon said pivot pins and connected at their free ends by transverse members adapted to rest upon a supporting surface, the vertical legs and transverse members of the lower U -shaped members being shorter than those of the upper U-shaped members whereby said lower members may be swung about their pivot pins 10 so as to lie in the same respective planes as their corresponding upper members, bracing means for maintaining the stool in stable open position, and means for holding said hub members against rotary movement, said last named means com- 15 prising rigid vertical members upon each of said pairs of pivot pins, and pairs of toggle links positioned above said pivot pins and connecting one adjacent vertical leg of each of said upper U- shaped members to the respective adjacent rigid go vertical member. l

CARLO IAFRATE. 

